Primal Canine

I rescued a 20 lb, 2 year old «social butterfly» from the local animal shelter only to find right off that bat that he had aggression issues with strangers and other dogs. In a sense, he started «resource guarding» my boyfriend and I. After four weeks and the dog showing territorial aggression with our cat I called primal canine as they came highly recommended by a friend. We’ve been attending private sessions with Sasha for maybe four weeks and already a huge amount of progress has been made!
— Stanley bit someone the first day I got him. He is still afraid of strangers but today he hung out with and played with my best friend for the first time. Even with a slow, gradual introduction he still tried to bite my parents and brother when I first got him. Not the case anymore!
— Sasha helped me train Stanley to ignore other dogs. I used to take him to the dog park and walk him around the fence and he’d attack the fence if any dogs came up to look at him. Now he will sit or lay down and ignore dogs on the inside of the park, even if they’re barking at him. I took him to the beach today and he growled when other dogs walked up to him but did not try to start a fight.
— Stanley’s separation anxiety is better than it was. Initially he chewed through a door when left alone at home. We have the basics of crate training now and are working on it but he does not bark constantly when I lock my front door to leave anymore.
I had to reschedule my intro session several times and the staff never made me feel like I was wasting their time, they were always super understanding. They also allowed me to sign him up for their fit pet doggie daycare when I had an apartment inspection. Literally everywhere else I looked would not allow a dog that was dog aggressive to sign up for daycare. Stanley bit staff member Kevin during our free assessment and kevin wasn’t too phased. He didn’t make me feel bad, in fact although taking Stanley out and about has been really stressful at times I have always felt comfortable and in good hands with Primal Canine.
Overall my dog is much more confident. Primal Canine is a worthwhile investment. My boyfriend had demanded I return the dog as he posed a danger to our cat but with obedience training Stanley has progressed immensely and is on his way to rehabilitation. Consider money spent here as an investment in your dog’s life. If I had simply surrendered him back to the shelter his anxiety issues would have been worse and the next family could have potentially put him down. All this training has also been creating a stronger bond between my dog and I as I have been learning how to communicate with him.

My 90 lb puppy was always friendly, happy and playful with other dogs, until he turned one year old. Then he started to exhibit aggressive behavior at the dog park (a big chip on his shoulder when challenged). He already knew the basic commands (sit, stay, down) but he needed an «attitude adjustment» and I needed help managing a large dog, while wanting him to remain friendly, happy, and playful.
Primal was recommended to us by another friend who took their dog there for training. I’m glad they told us!
From the first lesson, I was able to get my dog to focus on and obey commands. It didn’t happen overnight, but it was a big improvement!
We bring him to group lessons where he interacts (but does not play) with other dogs and this has helped quite a bit, as he is not threatened or feel territorial. The other dogs are also in training so bad behavior is not allowed.
I highly recommend Primal. It has kept my dog and me more sane and safe!

We’ve been going to Primal Canine for almost a full year. Our two pit mixes needed obedience training. More important, we needed to learn how to read their behaviors and prevent the fights they had. We’ve seen major improvements with our dogs and their behavior. We’ve learned so much from Mike and his team!

This place is amazing! I had some issues integrating an adopted dog with my senior dog. I just had an intro class and saw results right away. The staff are able to clearly communicate how to work with your dog and train them at home. There is a nice sense of team work and collaboration between the staff and the training is tailored to the personality of your dog. I am excited about going to the next class to learn more!

If you are looking for a dog training/​boarding/​sitting facility look no more. This is the best one in California. Dont just take my word for it, go and call and see for yourself!

(Continuing)
It was like pointing a finger at us like we don’t know what we’re doing.
This is verbatim; «the training doesn’t work with you guys because your dog is too smart and it knows you don’t know the correct training methods,» and then went on to say, «you need to do the single/​group classes for the training to work,» hahahahaha.
It’s comedy hour here folks.
So why did I need to Board & Train if nothing actually progressed until after we go to the single/​group classes?
I see these guys have perfect reviews and a lot of stars, but reviews and stars didn’t train my dog.
I’m actually dumbfounded how there isn’t 1 other bad review on this company based on what I experienced.
Maybe it’s another one of those Unilocal glitches that accidentally removes unwanted reviews?
After all this I told the owner I wanted my money back obviously right ?
He said he doesn’t do refunds, but I can come to a class free of charge.
If you can get any progress with having my dog for 17 days, there is no way in hell I’m going I’m going to waste my time on single/​group classes with you.
Absolutely ridiculous.
One of his «best trainers,» his words not mine, took my dog for 17 days, brought her back with no results, diarrhea, sores, someone else’s crate, and then wanted me to come back for more.
To this day, the owner still has my money, my dog isn’t trained, I still have someone else’s crate, although the diarrhea and sores are almost gone, and there’s still not 1 other bad review, or at the very least a not so great review on this company.
Weird.
Looking for another trainer to pay for (again) so our family can relax with a better trained dog.

Wonderful customer service with professional trainers! I have a 3 year old German Shepard named Julie before I came to primal canine Julie was a handful. My boyfriend and I decided she finally needed some training we looked at a few different places and decided to go with Primal Canine. Before we took her here she had a problem with running out the front door the minute we opened the door after some training she no longer runs out the front door and is much more well behaved. Group class is great it allows us to train with Julie and really be involved with her learning. I can’t wait to bring my next puppy there once he finishes his vaccinations =] !!!

I have a puppy that needs a lot of training. I adopted her from a shelter in Sacramento. I visit my family pretty much every weekend in the Bay Area (I live in Sacramento). So I decided to look up a dog trainer/​training facility that might be able to help me attack some of the most common issues I’ve had. I would have to take courses on the weekends anyways, so finding a trainer in the bay would be perfect for my schedule.
I read a lot of great reviews. One review made me giggle, only because I have another dog that’s gone through a board & train package and this is what I’ve learned: training isn’t just for the dog– it includes the owner. If you can’t continue the training concepts and provide structure in your home for that animal– then the issue isn’t with your dog, it’s with you. Just saying.
ANYWAYS, I needed a little guidance with my puppy, since her personality is different from my other dog and as any responsible owner should know… all dogs are not the same. They all learn differently and sometimes different training methods have to be used. With that being said, my older dog learned things a lot faster than my 1 yr old puppy (my older dog went through similar training classes as a puppy and it was never this hard to teach commands).
As I made my drive to Primal Canine, my anxiety heightened. I mean, what if they can’t help me? I just made a two hour drive for nothing. We finally got there and I had to de-​stress my dog by walking her around. I was about to cry, because she was barking at everything, everyone, and all she did was pull me everywhere. It was a mess. I felt hopeless. I met with a guy named Mike and he walked around the block with me and my dog. He showed me how to approach different situations. He gave me the explanations, so I could understand the importance of training. It’s amazing to see a complete stranger have control over my dog after having her leash in his hands for five minutes. He was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. He was able to answer all my questions. My anxiety was alleviated. We were in good hands. Even after class, it looked like I had a brand new dog. Who would’ve known? I know things don’t happen over night, but what I saw was nothing short of amazing.
I’m desperately hoping they open a facility in Sacramento, because I’d love to continue her training with them for agility work. My older dog needs some refresher courses also, so it would be great to have them closer so I could take both dogs with me. Thanks Mike and Primal Canine for making this really stressful situation a lot easier. I have more confidence in my skills as an owner and that’s all thanks to your willingness to help and your confidence in us.

I have only heard good things about Primal Canine, but never had the need to train my dogs with a professional trainer. At least, that was true until my boyfriend and I adopted a 1 year old GSD mix. Between adjusting her to her new home, and being new to owning a dog over 60lbs, I was struggling with basic obedience with her. We decided that a professional was the way to go, so that we could get the guidance we needed.
We started out with Kevin as our trainer, and after 1 session, it was like night and day. Our GSD mix, Heidi, was no longer dragging us on walks or pulling. I was very impressed with the improvement on that alone. However, with Kevin we only completed the intro class, but scheduling didn’t quite work out the weeks after, so we requested to switch trainers. It was hassle-​free, and we were assigned to Erik.
Erik has worked out great with us, and he was able to empathize with Heidi’s insecurity and lack of confidence. Even though Primal Canine works with many aggressive dogs (it seems), people come here for a variety of reasons. Heidi isn’t aggressive at all, but this was a great way for her to brush up on obedience and to become more confident in herself.

Love this place! They take their time & are really knowledgable with answering questions and training dogs. Highly recommended! Don’t go anywhere else! Taylor is awesome & our pitbull Mila loves her too. :)

When we adopted our dog, Jack, from a local animal shelter he was 3 years old. He had been out on his own for a little bit so he showed some serious aggression toward other dogs. He was an angel when he was with people but as soon as he would see a new dog he would bark, growl, show teeth, and lunge toward that dog. I was not sure how much he could change but a friend had gone to Primal Canine and highly recommended them (she described her experience as «life changing»).
We had the pleasure of working with Brandon. Jack needed a little extra help and Brandon really went above and beyond. He even gave Jack extra attention on days that we went to group lessons and we had a few lessons at some nearby parks so that Jack could practice being around dogs.
When we started going to Primal Canine Mike jokingly nicknamed our dog «Killer» because he was the most ferocious little dog — which was so funny because he was almost always the smallest dog there. Jack’s transformation has been huge. We used to not be able to take Jack anywhere and I assumed that we would never be able to go to a dog park. The techniques I learned from going here really work! Jack was able to be okay in the large group classes and he really enjoys group walks now.
Brandon also suggested that we try the Mini Educator E-​collar. This collar has truly changed our lives. Brandon let us try it out with one of his first to see if it was something we were interested in. The collar really just reinforces all the good things Brandon taught us before and he was optimistic that if we keep using it Jack could eventually be an off-​leash dog. I wasn’t sure if I believed that at first but after using it on our walks I think he really can now! Jack is a totally different dog now!
Another great thing about Primal Canine is the daycare. At a lot of other doggie daycares your dog needs to be able to pass a temperament test before you can go there. Jack would have never passed so I originally thought daycare was out of the question. At PC they will accept any dog and they even work with your dog during the day. I saw huge improvement in my dog’s behavior after picking him up from daycare. Taylor really did a great job with Jack! I wish I could have taken my dog to daycare more. We recently moved out of state. I think it will be extremely hard to find another pet training/​boarding facility that gets these kind of results. It is very clear that everyone working at PC really loves animals and they put their hearts into everything they do.

It is unbelievable to be able watch the transformation of a zero mannered dog into a well behaved one. A lot of credit goes to Kevin for helping me out. He is knowledgable and teaches it really well. Just after a few sessions I am a lot more confident.
Thanks Kevin and the rest of the Team!
–Brett and Kako

Brandon has been the greatest with our dog «Jake». He shows a lot of love and passion for what he does. He listened to my concerns and helped us right away to teach Jake how to behave in certain situations; for example, he taught Jake to avoid eye contact with other dogs, not to jump when he is being pet, and how to deal with separation anxiety. Brandon is helping me understand «Jake’s» behavior and also how to approach other owners with dogs. I am very content with the training.

Where do I begin?!? When we first adopted Kuro, our border collie-​lab back in November of 2014, we thought it would take A LOT of work and training to get him under control. For background, he would pull on the leash, he would jump on people walking by and go nuts when there were other dogs in the vicinity!
We were told that border-​collies are very smart/​people pleasing dogs and thankfully with the help of Primal and Kevin’s personal training, Kuro did a complete 180 within a matter of just a couple trainings. Kevin also did a board and train for 4 days and when we came to pick him up, we learned that Kuro was now completely off leash! Honestly, thought that day would NEVER come and there he was. walking side by side with no leash. Both my boyfriend and I were and awe and couldn’t be more thankful! We now take him off-​leash walking on the daily, hiking, to play fetch. and all thanks to Kevin and Primal!
We also do fit-​pet day care because he has so much energy. He gets super excited just turning into the street because he knows where he’s going and always happy to see the trainers!

We first started to going to Primal Canine when my wife was pregnant. We had a 1 year old puppy, Bentley, and wanted to make sure that we had some training, especially for when the baby was born. We signed up for a package with private and group classes. The private classes were really helpful. We focused on basic commands and getting Bentley to focus. Then we went to a couple group classes, so we could work on commands with other dogs around. It was the perfect mix.
Brandon has been our trainer this entire time. Once we got Bentley better trained, we stopped coming for a few months. But when he started barking at dogs walking by our house and neighbor’s cats a lot again, we started back with Primal Canine. Brandon continued to work with us. We still come by every month or so to work on different things.
The team at Primal Canine is really attentive to you and your dog’s individual needs. For the cost of the investment, it was totally worth it! Before, if someone grabbed his tail he might have snapped. Now, when our 9 month old daughter grabs him or falls over on him, he turns over and licks and kisses her. :)

I could not be happier about choosing Primal Canine to help me with my 5 year old German Shepherd/​Boxer (Manny) with people and dog aggression issues. Manny had bit people before and would lash out at any dog in public. He had been to basic obedience class but they did not address aggression and I was embarrassed, scared and my anxiety was always through the roof with his behavior. I am lucky to be a client of Primal Canine.
My trainer Brandon is the absolute best! Within one private training session I could already see changes in Manny’s behavior. Brandon not only helped with aggression but also basic obedience commands. To address Manny’s dog aggression Brandon would bring his own personal dogs out during training to create a situation for Manny to react and then teach us how to correct him in that situation. He would bring out multiple dogs at a time or just one depending on the scenario. My favorite dog of his is Balto, :) an African Boerboel. A true alpha dog but exactly what Manny needed.
Once Manny became too comfortable at the facility Brandon suggested to do the rest of our privates in the community. There is a dog park around the corner from Primal Canine and really easy to get to. This allowed Brandon to get a sense of how Manny acts in public and he taught us how to correct him.
Within your dog training packages you are also given multiple group session training ranging from beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Mike and the rest of the crew do an amazing job creating various scenarios and distractions that push your dog to the limit. These classes are something I have never seen before, loud noises, shopping carts, and bite work. They truly want you to get the best training possible and offer so much advice and help during your time there.
After every class, private and groups, they allow time to do the agility course. The course has a-​frames, ladders, balance beam and hurdles just to name a few. This helps build up your dogs confidence in themselves and it’s fun for the owners to run your dog through the course.
Due to Manny’s aggression after a few session we decided to get him an «E-​Collar». This collar has been a game changer for Manny. He is better with obedience and aggression because of it. We bought the collar through Primal Canine and they gave a free training session to teach us how to use the collar. I definitely recommend asking your trainer about the collars, a lot of dogs at the facility use them.
I now finally feel comfortable walking Manny in public and being near other dogs. Primal Canine and Brandon have been a life saver for my family and I. Thank you for all your help! We really appreciate it and I highly highly recommend Primal Canine and Brandon to help will all your dogs needs!
Ps. When you buy your package it is good for all dogs in the household for no extra charge. The dogs can be brought to privates and groups classes.

Primal Canine is pretty awesome! We decided to take our stubborn pit boxer mix puppy here to train him. After receiving recommendations from others to come here, we decided it was a must try.
Taylor is doing a phenomenal job working with us on training our puppy Taz. There has been a significant change over the span of a few session in his obedience. She does an excellent job on helping us recognize what we should be doing as owners rather than what our puppy is or isn’t doing properly. This has taught us how to interact and communicate with our dog about what we want from him.
In addition, they have an awesome day care! Every so often when I pick Taz up, I will find Taylor spending one on one time training Taz while he’s there for the day. You couldn’t ask for more dedication to your puppy from a trainer than you would here.

Primal Canine is the greatest thing that could have ever happened to my – then 5-​year-​old – mutt, Indy, and me!
I had taken my food and toy aggressive dog through all of the trainings at Pet Smart – beginning, intermediate, even earning a diploma in advanced training – and, nearly 4 years later, he knew all of the tricks in the book (albeit, pretty half-​a$$) yet was still more food and toy aggressive than ever. After nearly being at my end, deciding I would be fine just keeping him away from any and all company, not letting him go to the dog park, not letting him get near any other animals (including my own cat and few other cats in the same household), holding off not having children until he passed away in about 10 – 15 years… I came across an advertisement for Primal Canine on the corner I passed every day on my way home from work. I contacted them that same evening and we met with the owner and founder, Mike Jones, only a day later.
Since starting only 7 months ago, the change I have seen in Indy and my relationship with him has amazed everyone that has known us since his adoption 5 years ago. Kevin has been and continues to be the best trainer I have ever worked with. He’s extremely patient and knowledgeable. He is able to explain things about dogs and how to communicate with them that I was never able to grasp until our sessions with him. We have done in-​home private lessons, private lessons in Primal Canine, and a slew of group sessions. Kevin is always available to answer any questions that arise with my dog and in a way that is both easy to understand and has stuck with me. Indy’s food aggression has gotten so much better after following Kevin’s advice, so much so that we are able to leave him alone in the house with the cats and open food/​water bowls and toys without any incident. Kevin and Primal Canine have given me a peace of mind that I never thought would have been attainable with my dog and I am forever grateful.
I highly recommend that anyone looking to get a more obedient dog, fix aggression issues, or just attain a better relationship with their dog to go to Primal Canine and work with Kevin. I know I will never go anywhere else after coming across this place. I cannot praise Kevin or Primal Canine enough! I love you guys!

I started bringing my pup Indie to Primal Canine several months ago. I wasn’t able to take her on walks without her pulling and getting excited with everything she saw. Taylor was her trainer and she was able to help me gain control of Indie having her focus and listen. Taylor has helped me so much with Indie and she has become a much calmer and obedient pet and can now be walked without pulling or being distracted. My whole family has commented on how much better behaved Indie is now! Thank you Taylor!!!

I’ve been using Unilocal for over 3 years and this place really makes me want to write a review for them. (technically my first Unilocal review, did one before for work).
so I have a GSD, a crazy one. I have been taking her to various trainings since she was one but nothing really sticks. As she becomes older, her aggression becomes worse, she started to fight with dogs and got really close to attack people. It was hard to take her out on a walk or to play in dog park. I’m not exagerating here. We’ve only been to primal canine for 3 private session and 1 intro class (more like an orientation), I’m now able to walk her off leash around the neighborhood. It’s just amazing that my dog is finally willing to listen to me and to trust me when I tell her it’s ok.
It’s so hard to find a place that can really help you with dog behavior aggression problem and trainings are expensive here in bay area. Kevin and the staffs there are really good at it and they worth every penny I’ve spent. I know the pain of having an aggressive dog, he/​she is cute and lovable when he/​she is with you but just can’t get along with other people or dogs.